National wants to know why the 24-year-old Auckland CBD shooter wasn't in prison.

Matu Tangi Matua Reid was on home detention for domestic violence,  and had approval to work at the construction site.

National Party leader Christopher Luxon says the issue of not sending our violent offenders to prison has filtered down through the judiciary system, and we've ended up with soft sentencing.

Police Minister, Ginny Andersen, told Mike Hosking there's separation between government and judges for a good reason.

She says the sentence is a decision for the judge and not the Government.

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